Nate Reifke

Unfolding Shady Maples

2012-02-08T11:06:00.000-08:00

I listen to a lot of music. It gets me motivated, keeps me in the zone, and at times even inspires new work. No surprise then that the album covers I've worked on rank amongst my favorite projects. This time around I got to work with my long time friend Greg Peters and his super gifted cohort Owen Roberts on their combo effort Shady Maples.

One of the best things about doing album covers is getting early release tracks. I spent a lot of time listening to their Unfold album and the design is reflective of where my head was while I had it on repeat. Shady Maples music is multi layered and each time through I picked up something new I didn't hear before. It's expansive under the surface and that was the driving force for the art. The paper cover seems to literally unfold and reveal a vast landscape. While I tend to opt for illustrated focal points, this album really warranted much more atmospheric elements so I chose to use a photo I took in the Fall of last year. It encompassed how the music felt to me much better than anything I could have drawn by hand. Props to the Owen and Greg for putting out a great album.

Listen and learn

Shady Maples on Facebook

Shady Maples blog

NJR X BLINDMAN

2012-01-27T14:13:00.000-08:00

I've gotten used to quiet days alone in the wilderness. In some regards it's a necessary part of the work I've been doing. The pieces take shape without any sort of audience and I sometimes wonder what kind of reaction they get if and when anyone stumbles upon one. As I walk away I am often struck by the intangibly odd and alien quality that these lone rocks have tucked into the wild corners of my backyard. It's something that I fight to capture in my own photography, often leaving me frustrated because I am not the photographer I wish I was.

Every once in a while things just fall into place. Turns out that my new neighbor Abe Blair is an accomplished photographer and outdoorsman. Just the kind of guy I can trust to accompany me out there. So we decided to team up on a recent mountain ramble. We set up camp and with frozen fingers I worked in the setting sun. The black of night settled in and we listened to the icy lakes groan and crack beneath our weight. Abe is more than a photographer. There is something about his understanding and manipulation of light that really makes him a painter. With a deft hand and a keen eye he found ways to exploit qualities of my work that I knew where there but couldn't have hoped to capture by myself.

To learn more about Abe connect with him on Facebook.

12.12.12 begins

2012-01-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

Needle Star - Four color stamped print

"What's with the triangles?" That's what Amy asked me at the end of all this. I didn't really know what she meant until I looked back at months of sketches and realized that something has happened in my head. I guess I've been on some weird geometric trip in the last year and this first round of 12.12.12 is indicative of what I've been dwelling on.

One of the first drawings in my sketchbook from the last year is these pine needles. There was something about the geometric patterns created by the natural world that I just dove into. Long story short, I eventually refined and completed a second sketch from late 2011.

I drew pine needles onto two printing blocks and carved out the positive forms so the needles would be negative and leave a positive triangle.

I tested the stamps and then went into the first of the prints.

Pinkies out ladies and gentlemen, this is art.

There was definitely a rhythm that I fell into as things progressed. I went through the entire Bad Brains catalog, the Black Keys new El Camino record a bunch of the Techniques, and a few listens of Bon Iver's new stuff.

I carved a new, more size appropriate, signature chop for this year. Everything is signed and numbered and ready to ship. Thanks again to all those who signed on for this goofy science experiment. On to the next.

The North Coast

2012-01-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

I love living in the mountains, but there is something about the California coast that I'll never quite shake. It's a place of surreal beauty and if you find the right spot, can be deeply quiet. I spent some time near the ocean recently and when I got back in the studio I wanted to build a piece evoking some of those fresh salt memories. I attempted a rudimentary block print, but the prints were pretty disappointing honestly. I kept the blocks themselves and tacked them on an piece of scrap. Now it feels like I intended. Head up the coast to the redwoods and you'll see what I mean.

Blood & Pollen

2011-12-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

Bodhi and I spent a quiet day in the mountains as I used the last of the pollen I collected this spring. We listened to the raven's wings beating through the thin air as we let our toes sink into the mud and fought off leeches.

Ghost Rider

2011-12-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

With Christmas right around the corner I decided it was time to fix up the old busted rocking horse that's been occupying space in the basement for the last year. It originally belonged to my wife and was handed down by my in-laws so my guess is that it was built sometime in the mid seventies. It started off buttery yellow with flowers and a broken neck, but I fixed it up and customized it for my son with a matte black body, silver dia de los muertos style pinlines, and the original Bontrager grips from my mountain bike. No idea how long all the detailing will last once he gets on there and rides this thing to it's grave, so I'm glad I got a few shots first. Merry Christmas Rayden.

12.12.12

2011-12-01T12:24:00.001-08:00

For the love of the game and in the name of exploration and experimentation, this coming year I will be taking on an unusual personal project. Over the course of 2012 I will be creating unique monthly works, each of which will be held to editions of 12. That translates to 12 different pieces, 1 item per month, for each month of the year. I don't know what will come out the other side of this thing, but there's no doubt I'll be searching the caves and reaching through the cobwebs to keep up with my own deadlines.

Subscriptions are now sold out. If you signed on, keep your wits about you. Details are soon to follow and shenanigans shall commence.

For the latest on this project, click here.

Of earth & stone

2011-11-20T11:25:00.001-08:00

I went out again the other day. As I hiked it occurred to me that I've been attacking the same body of work for over a year now. I've never found anything that gave me the drive to do that before. Then again, I've never had the luxury either. It made me wonder what's been going on. All I know is that it's become an overpowering urge to get out, explore, and experiment. There are no computers, no music, no phones. Just listening to the wind and feeling the rock. I don't have a plan or a spot picked when I go out the door, so whatever happens is a unique experience that day. My chosen materials come directly from the Earth itself and I've started to understand that somehow the geometric line work is the energy that is reverberating between me and the rock. I choose places off the beaten path which means I work alone and it's unlikely that anyone will ever see what I've done before the rain and snow wash it away. In my professional career it's vital to create something that people will buy so there is a feeling of utter relief and power that comes with knowing the work is temporary. No seasonal fads, no sales figures, no brand identity, no one but myself to satisfy. No one will buy this, no one will consume this, because no one can own this. These pieces arise from a deep rooted need to create and connect with the places I want to spend time. The process is the payoff.

Swami Pinot Noir

2011-10-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a good year. I've worked with some great clients on some cool projects and this was one of my favorites. Swami Pinot Noir fulfilled a long time career goal of working on wine labels. Fortunately, the kind folks at Blue Nomad were really open and allowed a lot of room for creative freedom. The crew and I were well matched and I think I can speak for all of us when I say we had a good time putting this together.

Swami Pinot Noir reflections

There are more details in wine packaging than I first realized, but that just means there's more room to play. We considered every aspect of the wine and how it would look on the shelf. My hope is that someone could get lost in the label and forget they were even at a dinner party so I pushed myself to make imagery is as bright and multi-layered as the wine.

Swami's front and back labels

Capsule detail

Printed cork

Friends know of my fondness for all things glow in the dark, so it stands to reason that one of my favorite things about this label is the fact that we were able to hit it with UV sensitive ink and unleash the cosmic glow. The scene on the label has a rich variety of colors that vary depending on the light source.

The many faces of Swami

Pinot Noir at dusk

Swami under blacklight

When the lights go out

Original concept sketch

Final three color ups

The final label is actually really close to the original concept with the exception of the outside shape, which evolved over the course of development. The end result is much more cohesive and visually stimulating. And there you have it, an homage to one of my favorite San Diego hideouts.

For more info and to find a bottle near you please visit www.swamiwinery.com

15 years with the Air Moc

2011-10-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Man, things pass by quickly. Last week the air got that distinct chill of Autumn and I dug under my dresser for the squishy comfort and soothing familiarity of my Air Mocs. For the past 15 years it's been the same story. They've been with me on Halloween nights, Christmas mornings, snowboarding trips, backpacking treks, camping trips, grocery runs, in the office, in front of the fire, shoveling snow, taking out the trash, even in the hospital for the birth of my son.

Bodhi dog chewed up the cord locks when he was a pup, the air-soles have long ago deflated, the suede is stained and cracked, I've replaced the insoles twice, I even took them to a cobbler to have the soles professionally re-glued and somehow they keep rocking. But I have to be honest with myself. 15 is pretty old for a pair of shoes, or moccasins, or rockquasocks, or slippers, or whatever. Hell, they were already two years old when I hunted them down victoriously excavated them from an outlet all those years ago. But why does it matter? Well, I guess you could say these guys are like an old friend, but in reality I sorta feel like I own a piece of sneaker head history. I've been a Nike freak for longer than I can remember and back in the late 80's and early 90's amidst what I consider to be the glory days of their design they made the decision to drop these things - a glorified bag with a sole. It's barely even a shoe. No famous athlete to endorse it, no rad fluorescent colors, no crazy high tech story to push. Yet, they do exactly what they are supposed to do - make a hectic day a little more chill and put a smile on your face. I have never owned a pair of shoes for longer or had anything this cozy.

However, if this winter is anything like last year it could be the last season for these old potato shoes. So now what? Settle into some pink bunny slip ons? Never fear my friends. In a stroke of genius luck or beautiful fate, I happily scored a reissued pair just this summer and in another 15 years they'll just be getting good. In the meantime I'll crack another coldie and let these boys get toastie next to the fire.

For more on one of my favorite kicks read designer Steve McDonald's interview with Sneaker Freaker.

Geode 2

2011-09-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Got to work just before sundown. A moonless night and the Milky Way kept me company after hours.

Once in a lifetime

2011-09-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

We happily hosted a wedding on the property last weekend. A beautiful day and an amazing party. Congrats guys.

Concentric

2011-09-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

Recent Rambles

2011-08-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

When you spend large quantities of time wandering the forest by yourself it's always a good idea to keep a phone with you. Not exactly sure how it'd help when it never gets a connection, but at least it's got a camera. Here's a small collection of images from some recent forest rambles.

Charcoal on wooden steps

Clearly, I'm not the only one out here.

Carry Us On

2011-08-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

I was really stoked to help Barefoot Truth put together the art for their new album "Carry Us On". The water color bars represent the five band members and the rest of the scene was rendered in pencil. You can learn and hear more at barefoottruth.com

Pollen Test

2011-08-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

In my search for less invasive materials, pollen has been a long term goal. Fortunately, in mid summer it collects in the corners and edges of the lakes and streams which makes grabbing it by the handful a possibility. Unfortunately, it also means bringing home and sifting through pounds of rotting vegetation to extract the usable pollen. In short, it's time consuming, tedious, and it absolutely reeks. On the plus side, it's beautiful and proving to be a totally viable medium.

Green Lantern

2011-08-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

Without question the most complicated lamp build I've done to date. The parts and pieces came from so many different sources that there was no formula to follow. Over the course of two and a half years I scavenged a scrap wood pile, repurposed a dilapidated outdoor sconce, and dismantled a kid's nightlight. I had to fabricate some things and improvise others, but all totaled I spent about $9 for the glass, the shade, and the three way wiring. Still not sure what the wood is, but it is some of the most beautiful I've ever found in a scrap pile.

Subtraction

2011-07-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

Generally I make a living as an illustrator. I spend abundant amounts of time adding lines and colors to paper. At it's core it's a very simple process and often affords the ability to erase and retry. Sculpture is fundamentally different. The work is created by subtracting material. There is no erasing, no undoing, no adding back what you've taken away. It's an amazing skill and I in no way consider myself a sculptor. However, that doesn't keep me from trying and I've been known to try my shaky hand at carving things in wood from time to time. The few times I've gouged away at a chunk of wood, it's always been something that already had a form. It was destined to be something beyond discarded scrap, driftwood, or bark. These pieces are things that created themselves, I just helped guide them along a little.
On a recent walk in the woods I stumbled upon this gall. Galls are irregular plant growths created by the reaction between a plant's natural hormones and the powerful chemicals injected by some insects. These little insect nurseries make odd and fascinating forms that always seem to grab my attention. This particular gnarled piece of oak caught my eye and with a little scraping and boring it transformed into an oddly perfect replica of something quite familiar.

Lake Spirit

2011-07-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

The Mountain High

2011-07-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

Early summer ascent of Mt. Agassiz.

Spring hideout

2011-06-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

It's finally warming up and I got a chance to sneek out for a few hours and spend some time at one of my favorite nearby hideouts. Had my wife and my dog in tow and we all got a little taste of spring.

Bodhi and the lesser known boardshort Sasquatch.

Working in the Sierra snowmelt .

Southland Upload

2011-05-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

I have no control over the sights and sounds that capture my attention or what happens after they rattle around in my head for a few months. All I can do is hope to record a glimpse and keep it for reference. I call it uploading. I shove my brain full of new stuff and see what leaks out later in the download. Generally these glimpses are irregular and and unrelated so it's a rare opportunity to have a set of influences that have a common thread. In this case it was a trip back to the old stomping grounds.

Central Valley sketches done with Layers on my iPod.

Reflections on Refraction

2011-05-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

Winterscapes

2011-05-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ash & Oak

2011-04-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

Found some cedar charcoal on the property and worked silently in what might have been the last snow storm of the season.

Huichica Music Festival

2011-03-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

Huichica Music Festival is an annual all-day concert at Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma, California. They have a killer lineup and anytime you're barefoot drinking wine you know it's gonna be a good time.

As an independent music fan, I was really stoked to help them with a poster for this year's festivities. And by the way, if the Fruit Bats are taking requests, play me "On the Legs of Bees".

I had little idea where I was going with this at the beginning, but I just started penciling and soon the images where compounding. Grapevines, music notes, guitars, wine goblets, profiles of faces, amphibious friends? Sure just keep cramming 'em in there.

I have a tendancy to overthink my work, but sometimes when you just put pen to paper good things happen.

Find out more about Huichica on the Facebook.

Hope I see you there.

The Giving Tree

2011-03-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

Before the Storm

2011-03-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Last week while you were sucking down cheap green beer and salty meat Bodhi and I were slogging through the snow and mud.

Communication Breakdown

2011-03-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

No tv, no internet, no mail, no problem.

Color tests v1

2011-03-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

Ash Wednesday

2011-03-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

Snowshoe exploration and large scale tests.

Wanderings & Ramblings

2011-03-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

Iterations

2011-02-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

Tracing the origins of two recent pieces.

The final manifestation - coffee, watercolor, and ink.

First execution - FUEL TV mural at The Park in Melbourne Florida.

Small scale sketch and color test for mural.

Conception - Notes from a lecture on Biomimicry.

Close up of final piece. Watercolor and pen on cabinet door.

Seed pod, pencil sketch, final.

Year one

2011-02-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

Personal trainer, frisbee fiend, reckless daredevil, comedian, partner in crime.

Happy 1st Birthday Bodhi.

It's beer 30 somewhere

2011-02-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's a real thing.

Walk softly & carry a big piece of chalk

2011-02-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

Full Immersion

2011-02-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

I'm not gonna lie. I love 3D.

Seems like it comes up a lot with friends these days, but the truth is I've always been into it. I still have my old View Master which most likely can take the credit as my first manufactured 3D experience. But as a little kid I remember stumbling on an old stereoscope while I wandered an antique shop waiting for my mom. I was blown away that I could see those people and places almost exactly as they stood 100 years before. It steamrolled from there. My parents took me to 7-11 to get a shitty pair of red and blue glasses and I stayed up late to watch the 1953 film "It Came From Outer Space". I loved Captain Eo, I bought the Magic Eye Steregraph books, I kept my 2007 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, the album art on Tool's "10,000 Days" remains amongst my all time favorite, I had my face melted by Tron Legacy's visuals, and I constantly threaten to come home with a new 3D TV.

Why the fascination? Well I guess it comes down to this - Art is one of the very few things that allows you to take a short jaunt into someone else's psyche. 3D allows an artist to fully immerse the viewer in their art. The textures, movements, and depth

that are delivered to your brain when watching the puppets in Coraline or Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up's virtual Venezuelan cliffs, or the bioluminescent seed pods from Avatar are what entrench you in someone else's thoughts. You are invited to fully experience someone else's creative powers. Outside of a handful of incredible dioramas in the natural history museum, it's not often you get to step into an entire painting, photograph, or drawing. It's literally a different dimension, an additional medium.

Don't get me wrong. The new hype behind 3D has led to an blitzkrieg of crap too. But where there is true talent creating true art for me to experience I'll be there getting my head pinched by those stupid glasses.

The good, the bad, and the fugly.

2011-01-25T17:43:00.000-08:00

The quantity and diversity of structures, colors, and movements of the world's creatures will never cease to amaze and inspire me. To satisfy my own curiosities I've been trying to document the odd and interesting things we've found around the acreage here. Turns out things that scurry and scatter are not that good in front of a camera lens. Fortunately, I was able to nab a few.

Still not exactly sure what was going on here, but it certainly seemed like I caught a cannibal lizard in the act.

We had close to 20 people staying with us the night this guy landed on the deck so there were plenty of witnesses. Based on a comparison to my own hand I'd guess he was about 3.5 inches long. I really don't understand how something this size can fly.

The coloring on this iridescent beetle was so intense that at first glance I thought it was some remnant of food wrapper. From what I've referenced it looks like it may be in the metallic wood-boring beetle family.

Apparently this guy is a Sun Scorpion. I'd never heard of them before and I can't say I'm a big fan. This one was outside. My apologies to any future guests when I admit that we found another one inside. Thankfully it was a lot smaller.

This thing wouldn't stop moving and I'm still bitter I couldn't get a better shot. A female wolf spider covered with her babies. I'd only ever seen anything like this on nature shows so I felt pretty lucky to glimpse it in my backyard.

Buried Alive

2011-01-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

There's a lot to learn when you are a newbie. Lesson 1- Don't trust the weather report more than a week out. And 2- Don't close the gate and park the only all wheel drive vehicle a couple hundred feet behind it if there's even a chance of snow. The good news is that I can snowboard the back of my property and there's no need for formal exercise when you're shoveling out for five days.

Twenty Ten & Everything After

2011-01-25T16:26:00.000-08:00

Last year was a big one. So begins a new life for all of us. I can only hope to be nimble and listen to my instincts.

One Winter day

2011-01-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

Morning in the garden

Good question

2011-01-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes art is about asking yourself the hard questions. Take a deep breath and relax, you draw pictures for a living. Thanks Rob.

Workin' on it

2011-01-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Swami Pinot Noir label. Blue Nomad's newest release will drop this summer.

Ghost

2011-01-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

The reason why.

2010-11-18T11:43:00.000-08:00

When I tell people that I left San Diego to move to Pollock Pines the conversation inevitably falls silent. The pause is always followed by one question "Why?". People ask with an underlying skepticism as if I must be running away from something or assume I'm just plain dumb. I suppose that's understandable. I miss my friends, I miss the smell of the ocean, I miss the Starlite, the zoo, and cheap California burritos. But there are things that speak to all of us. For some that is the sea, the city, the burbs. For me it is the mountains. Minutes from my front door I have incredible access to the forest. Staring at the limitless skies in the silence of the back country is a healing experience. The mountain clears your head and I have learned many lessons from the patience of ancient sequoias and the power of a summer storms.

Last month I took 10 month old Bodhi with me on a solo trip to Pyramid Peak. Agile and strong, he was a great companion. He never tired and only once did he balk. Near the summit we faced ripping winds and extremely cold temperatures. The roar of the wind scared him and he refused to move. He had already come so far, scrambling up steep scree fields and pouncing over the talus, it wasn't a question of whether or not he could do it. I decided to charge the top and he eventually quieted down and followed. We hunkered down and for a brief period the wind pushed the clouds away and the whiteout gave way to some truly amazing views. Those fleeting moments gave me time to snap a few pictures and absorb the reason why.

Hair Farmer

2010-10-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it's almost Movember again. Last year I cultivated Ol' Musty into a disgustingly thick, child scaring, beer catching, monster. This time around I'm proud to be teaming up with Sector 9 to create a limited board graphic for Movember 2010. Together we hope to help raise awareness for cancers that affect men while raising funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG. Keep your eyes peeled and I'll update when I know more. For now check out the official Movember website and my friends at Sector 9.

Workin' on it

2010-09-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Finished the art for my friends Greg Peters and Owen Roberts of Shady Maples. Look for tees soon.

For Hank

2010-09-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

There are constant small reminders of the lives that existed in this space before me. I've found kid's toys, ropes, plates, buckets, and golf balls scattered amongst the trees on my property. Most of it goes in the trash, but every once in a while something interesting comes along. I found the remainder of this deer skull on the back of the property when we first came up here. It was buried in snow, mud, and pine needles, but somehow caught my eye. Leaving the thing where I found it, I figured if it was still here when I came back that I was meant to resurrect it and show it proper respect. There is no way to be sure if it was left by a hunter or perhaps taken down by some coyotes, but a friend schooled in mammalian anatomy pointed out the sharp molars and explained that it had been a juvenile. Much later I found the black feather on the opposite side of the property but somehow I felt it was meant to be with the skull. The pair sat for many weeks on the ledge above my drafting table giving me time to devise a project while making the dog insane. Driving home up the hill one day, it seemed all too obvious that I needed to cut some old plywood into the shape of the Highway 50 sign and mount the skull fragments along with the feather. Keeping Bodhi at bay wasn't easy as I cleaned the skull and wired it to it's wooden home. As I worked it occurred to me that these things had made themselves known to me for a reason, but they were not mine to keep. These animal's spirits were left here for my son. They are his guides and are awaiting his arrival. Nimble and gentle as a deer, cunning and resourceful as a raven. Gifts from the mountain. Maybe it's not what most people would put in a nursery, but then again, we are not most people.

The importance of being neighborly

2010-09-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

I'm new to the neighborhood. I don't know much about the local hangouts, the back roads, trash pick up, power outages, the once a month community flea market, or what happens when it snows. What I do know is that it's important to ask questions and listen to the answers. Luckily, I've been shown some beautiful, quiet places that I'd never found on my own. Be patient and humble and someone might even give you directions to a locals only mountain bike trail that goes something like - "Take the road until the pavement ends and keep on going. Go past the first campfire with the turnout, look for the second campfire with a little bit of trash next to it, when you see the hubcap on the ground across from that your in the right spot. We call that one Hubcap." For real.

It's only right to repay the favor. I recently grabbed some scrap wood lying around the property to build a house for the neighborhood bats. Besides being one of my favorite animals, bats help with pollination, insect control, and seed dispersal. This was a quick project that has the potential to give refuge to a colony of neighborhood watchmen. Now if I can just find a neighbor that will let me borrow an extension ladder to put it up.

I'm gonna git you sucka!

2010-08-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for packaging. I always have been. When I was a kid I'd run around the clothing racks ripping the stickers off tees, pants, jackets, whatever I could get my hands on. I amassed a giant collection of tags and stickers that clung to my bulletin board and walls for the duration of my youth. Those images along with the blitzkrieg of color and gnarled skulls behind the local skateshop counter are the primary reasons I got into illustration and design.
In truth, most of us fall victim to the images and copy that bombard us every time we are faced with a decision to buy. We pick things that we think say something about us, or make us feel the way the people in the ads look. Having studied the media and art you might think someone like myself would be able to look past the facade and make more pragmatic decisions. Hell, I've personally created some of those images, packaging, and slanted copy. But here's the rub. Despite my awareness, I continue to be hypnotized by the visual impact of packaging. Simply walking into the grocery store can induce headaches for me as I try to filter the myriad of logos and labels. Perhaps that's why certain products snare my hard fought dollars. When packaging is well thought out and well executed it creates the shiny lure that I know is gonna get me in trouble. To make myself feel better I justify it with the hope that I am patting other hard working artists and designers on the back for creating exceptional work.
So, give me a reason to buy. Give me something I can hold onto. Give me something that I can admire every time I use. Something that starts conversations and something that will end up in a little antique store one day. Something I can pass down to my son.
I need an excuse to plunk down for an overpriced bottle of so-so vodka. Maybe it's because I need to resupply, maybe it's because I enjoy a Mule in the summer months, maybe it's because I feel powerful sipping from a human skull, or maybe it's because I'm just a sucker.
Well done Mr. Akroyd

Workin' on it

2010-08-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

In it deep, working on Reef stuff this week.

Workin' on it

2010-08-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

This week - The finishing touches on my Ando & Friends coloring contest. For details go to andoandfriends.com

Inside the Studio

2010-07-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

We've settled in a little now, so here are some images from the new studio.

Welcome to my underground lair.

Bodhi and Panther holding it down.

Elders graphic on the drafting table.

Goin' Home

2010-07-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

After many good years in San Diego I have transported my family to a secluded part of the Northwestern Sierras to pursue a quieter existence and live more deliberately. No doubt the mountains will provide the inspiration and quiet beauty to fuel the next phase of my life and my career.